A touch of Steel
by stewart92
Summary: OC, What if SOLDIER 1st class had one more member on that fateful mission.


This is new, the story here was of my friends creation, I just touched it up, Kind of wanted some feed back. I know its OC but he likes his OC.

final fantasy

The screaming coupled with the smell of cooking wood and flesh woke the sole occupant of the Nibelheim Inn from dreamless sleep. Almost violently, the young man flung himself at the window that was opposite of the still made bed, as as he ripped the curtains apart he froze.

The scene that fell before him was one that he would never forget.

Fire had embraced the village in a deadly encounter, the buildings nearer the Shinra manor were nothing but flames contained with brick walls, the Shinra manor itself was untouched by the flames, its isolation form the town had saved it from the hellish fate. The town symbol, the well in the centre had collapsed crushing fearful townsfolk who had gathered to leave town, the wooden support structure had been burned and weakened.

The main, and only road through Nibelheim was blocked at the opening to the Shinra manor and the mountains that laid beyond, by a debree of burning wood and stone. As the young man stared on in shock, a sudden flare of fire illuminated the man in the inns room.

The fire cast shadows over his brown hair that was still ruffled from his quick departure from his sleep and his eyes giving off a light blue glow that contrasted the rest of his face. He swiftly turned picking up his body length coat that was made of a dark leather, it fitted the man perfectly, it added a dangerous effect to his overall appearance.

Before the young man left the room he stopped to grab a fully sheathed Nodachi that was positioned near the bed incase of an emergency, such as this one. The blades hilt was royal blue with golden patterns etched into the leather grip, three simple red threads flowed off the end of the hilt, no longer than a man's finger apiece. The sheathe was a dark oaken brown that had no unique marks to say about itself.

As the man rushed down the hall, he made a sharp left down the stairs and stopped only at the main foyer of the inn, it was completely deserted. Even the old crone behind the counter had fled her spot. As he open the Nibelheim inn and walked outside the sounds of death and destruction reached new heights. The flames heat roared into his ears, the heat quickly warming his exposed flesh.

As the he looked around, thinking the best course of action to minimize the damage to the town, he spotted something that didn't fit with the disaster raging around him, the bodies of three recently departed, they were carelessly laying down near the entrance of the town, as the young man drew closer he saw no burn marks to support they died of fire, the fire hadn't reached this far out of town, seemed to have spawned closer to the Shinra manor. He turned the head of the closer body, it was a man of about 30 or maybe a little older, he might of been a resident of Nibelheim but it wasn't clear. The young man scanned the corpses lips.

They were pink and clean. Death by smoke was also not the case, this was more frustrating than puzzling for the young man. He turned the corpse he had been examining over onto its back and paused. A thin but deep cut had been gouged into the man chest in a downward arc. It was a sharp edged sword, more for cutting than stabbing, the ideal weapon would be of a wutain weapon, the katana but the cut extend all the way across the corpses chest in a single stroke, much to large for the make of a katana. That left only two options his blade, which meant someone not only sneaked past him and stole his sword without waking him and caused this damage, cleaned the blade and returned it again without waking him. That was near impossible and most likely not the case but that only left the other choice...Sephiroth.

Suddenly there was the sound running, boots hitting the ground with a smacking sound and the young man was already turning with his sword half drawn and his body tensing for a fight. The person rapidly approaching stopped suddenly, eyeing the scene.

"Draconion? What's going on? Do you know anything about this?" the newcomer half asked, half demanded. Draconion looked at him and said nothing for the first few seconds before answering.

"Zack? I was hoping you could tell me, I woke up about five minutes ago. I woke up to...this." Draconion said with forced calm, panicking wouldn't help either of them. Zack looked lost and ready to fight, He had his sword in his clenched hand, a hulking monstrosity that Zack called a "sword", it was a bit big too be called a broad sword but there was no other name for it. It was a inheritance from another first class SOLDIER, Angeal Hewley . Angeal had gotten it from his father and named the weapon "Buster sword", both Zack and Angeal wielded it one handed in a casual encounter but could swing it with rather frighting speeds when the need called for it. Zack was wearing the uniform of the first class SOLDIER, black trouser, black boots, black top with dark brown suspenders over his shoulders and metal paudron shoulder guards.

Zack took a look around the burning town before settling on the bodies at Draconion's feet.

"Did you...?" He didn't finish the sentence, he didn't have to, Draconion could see the uncertainty in his mako glowing eyes, he understood why Zack was troubled by what he saw. The scene could be taking in many ways, one would be that Draconion himself cut them down, it was a plausible conclusion to the untrained or the fact-less mind. Zack had already been betrayed, his seniors and perhaps his heroes had defected from the Shinra company, abandoned the company, the SOLDIER division and they had abandoned Zack himself.

Angeal and Genesis, they had betrayed more than one person that day.

"No, the wounds were caused by a sword of similar make, curved blade and there is only two people in this town with blades like that Zack and I haven't taken up mass murdering as a hobby." Draconion showed Zack his half unsheathed blade, showing him the dull but clean metal. Zack took a moment to answer.

"Your blade is clean and I... think you're telling the truth. If you weren't, I don't think you hang around to be caught or walk around with only half your sword released. But that means it could only be..." Zack finished, hardly believing what he was about to say. Draconion nodded once before he put on his sunglasses to provide a better view beyond the fire.

"Sephiroth." he finished. Zack looked more frustrated than before and turned and punched the post of the main entrance, it rattled at the force.

"But why? Why is he doing this? He was fine days ago!" Zack tried to reason, more with himself than Draconion. Draconion was quiet for a few seconds before drawing the other man's attention.

"Do you remember yesterday morning? Sephiroth sent one of the grunts to deliver a message, it was just after breakfast."

Zack nodded, quickly calming himself. "He wanted to see you at the manor, about some personal business he wanted to discuss?"

Draconion let out a sigh. "It wasn't a easy conversation either."

The Shinra manor had been built in a remote mountain range, after years of many guests and servants, a town had blossomed into sight. However the masters of the Shinra manor had moved away to the growing metropolises, Midgar, to run the Shinra electric company that was quickly becoming the dominate power of the city. The manor had been left behind, hardly used for many years before suddenly one day, the manor had gained a new master, quite different form any other master.

Professor Hojo, though no one quite knew what his title came from, he didn't teach and not many would willing submit to his ways anyway. He was scientist under the pay of the Shinra company, his workings and research were filed and secured by the highest security. He barely used the manors many rooms, the kitchen and the bathrooms were the most used but not much else did it show a group of people using the manor, that was what the local towns folk believed anyway.

Hojo had carved a basement for his needs away from the curious public eye, available only through the back of a bedroom wall on the second floor, it was behind this wall a spiralling staircase dropped into near darkness and lead into what could only be described as an abandoned mine shaft with many side corridors, however the main passage lead to a library converted into Hojo's personal study and lab. It was here that Sephiroth waited for Draconion. Sephiroth was not a man you would forget or ever be likely to. His immediate features drew attention to him, his long silver hair was itself unique, but the were his glowing green cat eyes that cut through any bravado or lie, His black long coat was hard to see in the dim light of the library, his belt buckle was large and ornate, his boots had bright silver buckles and against the wall behind Sephiroth, within reaching distance was a en-longed Nodachi.

It was nearly two foot long than Draconion's own katana blade. Many warriors and weapon experts would have trouble wielding such a formidable weapon, not General Sephiroth, winner of the Wutai war, he wielded it like it wind beneath his fingers, each strike tore through all obstacles, he had trained with this weapon from such a young age it was an extension of himself.

Sephiroth was usually a calm and cold person to most and even if you gained his trust and friendship, the most you would get would be a twitch of the lips, unless you were a topic of a joke within Sephiroth's own mind, then perhaps a chuckle. Draconion knew he was one of and if not, Sephiroth's closer friends, it wasn't exactly a big list, Sephiroth's friends but it did exist. They had both rose through the ranks of Shinra's forces until becoming the elite of SOLDIER 1st class, they had both been cold towards each other, neither saw them as worthy opponents. It all changed within their first mock battle, Sephiroth was used to simply winning, single slash from him send most opposition flying into a wall of injuring them, but when he struck Draconion, he held his ground and even had the cheek to ask if Sephiroth if that was the best he had to offer.

It was the start of a rival-ship that lasted for months before Sephiroth began actively seeking him out in his own time, it was mostly to seek more battles from Draconion, sometimes to be his partner for a mission he was required to take one from the upper powers of the Shinra company.

They grew to respect each other and their abilities, they continued to fight and gain insights to new levels of strength, they even saved up and had similar weapons forged for them at the most efficient smithy they could find on or near Midgar. The local gossip and backhand talk from older or senior members of SOLDIER division lead them to a Wutaian shop within the 3rd sector slums, beneath the healthy crowds of well-off citizens, away from the clean air from sky above and into the dank, dirty and polluted earth, hidden beneath the metal plates of Midgar. The slum was dangerous from diseases, thugs and even the occasional monster attack.

Draconion and Sephiroth had grabbed a break in their shift to travel downwards into the stomach of the metal city to locate the shop. It was tucked away behind several "men's clubs", several rat holes of bars and pubs and the local filth that had given them a wide berth from the moment their feet touched the train station. Rumours had it that a Wutai citizen had defected to Midgar and offered information about several bases and important figures within the Wutai nation, when the spy had no more to give Shinra had tossed the man into the slums without even a "good luck" for him, to survive he set up a weapon shop to sell "weapons of the enemy". Sephiroth scoffed at what he called "faceless nonsense" but had let Draconion drag him down to the slums without even a single word of protest.

The man did exist and he did in fact posses great talent at forging weapons, two curved blades had been forged for them, the longer of the two given to Sephiroth, the shorter of the two, to Draconion. When they had both left the shop for a second time to collect their blades, Sephiroth had a small smile on face the whole trip back, Draconion simple gritted his teeth and simply said before departing for their next shift.

"Size doesn't matter."

Sephiroth had no smile on is face, in fact he looked...angry, desperate and perhaps...inspired? All around them, bookshelves were stripped of their books which were haphazardly piled and stacked around the oval office at the end of the room, even the small hall between the two rooms had been cluttered with books read and discarded. Sephiroth didn't look like he had spent two days ransacking a library looking... for something.

"Sephiroth, you called?" It was more of a politeness that Draconion announced himself, they both knew that Sephiroth had heard him as he walked down the shaft, even before he opened the door. Sephiroth took one more look at the book before he threw it carelessly on to the desk in the middle of the office.

"Yes, I did. I found something that I believe you must know, I thought it only involved me, then I found the other files." he spoke in a soft but brisk voice. Draconion raised a single brow at the silver haired man.

"You're not making sense, what files? What did you find? Is it something about this little hideout down here?" he asked calmly. Sephiroth began to pace, small steps to the left, abrupt turn and the to the right, he was frowning, his lips twitched as he tried forming the correct words.

"I needed to be sure before I showed you, these books, this office even this chair! They all belong to Hojo." Sephiroth did not expand on that point, he didn't need to waste is breath, Draconion knew Hojo, knew his deformed grin, his obsession on unlocking every secret he could get his hands on, his cruel and sadistic nature towards his subjects and co workers alike and best of all, Draconion knew Hojo's hatred. It burned him every-time Hojo "accidentally" set the mako treatments to high, when the burning is prolonged because Hojo "forgot" to call the medical team, it dripped from every word, every action and every look Hojo had ever given him.

It was silly really, to Draconion anyway, how dare he? How dare he be on equal footing to his greatest warrior, how dare he go toe to toe with is best subject and continue to force draws. How dare he exist? Sephiroth continued with is explanation.

"A great number of years ago there was extremely experimental ideas performed, they came about after scientists discovered an ancient being in the far north, frozen for millenniums under deathly temperatures. After much testing on the being, they declared it an 'her' and her 'Jenova'" Sephiroth gave a quick paused to catch breath before continuing, as if the mere name had taken his breath.

"Jenova they determined was from an ancient race called the 'Cletra', beings with great power over the planet, they could interact with the power of the planet and in times of great danger, control its energies. They were unsure why she was in the northern creator in the place, a hermit or an exile were the most popular theories." Sephiroth waved his hands towards the piles of books and journals scattered around the room, it made sense they be reports or scientific findings of the scientists. Draconion interrupted,

"Okay, so Hojo found this woman in this northern creator and examined her, which I'll admit is most likely the only woman to spend more than 5 minutes with him, is this important?" Draconion leaned against the bookcase next to him . Sephiroth stopped pacing and gave a slight chuckle at Draconion's words, he turned and look at Draconion with his cat-slited eyes.

"Hojo may be a scientific genius but we both know about his short comings when it comes to morals. However he did succeed in extracting biological material from Jenova and with that began the 'Jenova project', the experiment to create a warrior from the genes of Jenova and the energy of the lifestream, pure mako. 'The ultimate warrior' Hojo claimed in his journal, the first few experiments were failures and out right defects, humans with the mind of insane or malformed humans warped into mindless beasts, later versions were more stable but still weren't the 'Ultimate' creation Hojo dreamed of. After many trials and errors Hojo finally had a breakthrough when he introduced Jenova cells to an unborn child." Sephiroth's voice dropped to a eerily toneless voice, Draconion immediately straightened up.

"...A unborn child, you don't mean...?" Draconion stared at Sephiroth unblinkingly. Sephiroth's hand suddenly clenched, for Sephiroth that was extreme anger of the highest kind.

"Yes, I was that child...that subject...that monster! I am a lie, I was bred for war, I was created in a blank sterile lab, at the whim of Hojo's curiosity." Sephiroth's tone became cold and harsh. Draconion took three steps forward and stopped on the other side of the desk.

"Stop it, we both knew that Hojo is the true monster here, you did not choose to be born like this and you didn't choose to be a experiment. But I still don't understand why you called for me? We both know you don't gossip or like idle chat." Draconion said quietly. Sephiroth for the first time looked hesitant about the conversation, he looked Draconion in the eyes once more, with a hint of concern.

"I...discovered your name among the files as well, I... your... do you truly wish to know the depths of Hojo's evil?" Sephiroth asked Draconion quietly. Draconion nodded once without answering. Sephiroth looked around the office as he began to speak.

"After my...birth, Shinra wanted to mass produce me, like some sort of product for the war of Wutai. However the Jenova cells were unable to be placed into people without some sort of negative reaction and it took far too long to...make them like me, from birth and upwards. They experimented with purer forms of make and certain peoples reactions to it, letting the mako augment their natural abilities, this was the birth of SOLDIER, However Hojo wasn't satisfied with his inability to create more 'ultimate weapons' faster and more efficient." Sephiroth paused long enough to look at Draconion once more.

"He began his own personal experiments, taking unwilling subjects from every slum, waste or hovel he could without drawing attention. Hundreds of people were slowly poisoned, burned, or mutated so badly they were put down as a mercy kill. But there was a handful that lived and survived the experiments, your name was on the list that survived, However Hojo deemed all the survivors 'Failures' or 'Defects' they were unable to possess the same growth rate of myself, they weren't handling the Jenova cells as well. Hojo tossed them back into the holes he found them." Sephiroth finished without looking at Draconion.

Draconion couldn't focus on the details of the room, his mind had become filled with images of a early life of the slums in Midgar. His memory of his own blood burning, his own body twisted and broken, something always lurking in the back of his mind. He didn't know what happened before, it was a blank spot, a dark abyss that refused to surface. Sephiroth noticed the change in his mood.

"You were created to become me." He finished.

"I don't care" Draconion finally looked up, Sephiroth's calm face turned shocked for a second. Draconion continued before Sephiroth began to object.

"I failed Hojo's expectations? Good, I don't do want he wants now, so why should I care what he wanted me to do then?" Draconion's voice took a defiant tone and a small smirk appeared in the corner of his mouth. Sephiroth frowned at him. Draconion decided to help him understand.

"I was a failure who refused to die, I refused to lay down and and accept my fate. I joined SOLDIER and fought my way to you and we fought, again and again. I didn't care about my fate of some slum boy with no memory, I just wanted to be the best and that meant beating you, I may be a failure at being you but I succeed at becoming me, Draconion."

Sephiroth paused.

"Hojo always flew into rages when your name was brought up, but don't you see? Me and by the product of the experiments, you were created and grown to be superior to normal people even to the enhanced SOLDIERS, Hojo by his own faults have given us the ability to rise above our chains of the Shinra company. She is here Draconion! Jenova, my mother." Sephiroth threw his arms wide and gestured to air. Draconion took a step back.

"Sephiroth...?" Sephiroth smiled, it seemed twisted.

"Up in the mountains me and Zack scouted out the Mako reactor of Nibelheim, within we found remnants of Hojo's previous experiments and at the very back...the door labelled 'Jenova'. She is here and she is calling for me!" Sephiroth said with joy and a hint of obsession. Draconion looked at Sephiroth with actual worry.

"Sephiroth, calm down, you need to rest, you've been down here too long, its making you dramatic." Sephiroth looked at Draconion before grabbing his sword and marching back towards the surface, leaving behind Draconion with worry in his eyes.

Zack stood staring as Draconion gave him the highly shortened version, Zack seemed to go through several emotions as the tale progressed, curiosity, anger, disgust, pity, shock and finally a glimmer of understanding. He turned and faced the burning town, the short time they had conversed, the fire had claimed more of the rural town to its hungry flames. He knew they should act but the information provided to him by Draconion. It disturbed him that company that he already had issues with had allowed this to happen, to the people they promised to provide safe homes and clean energy for.

"But this isn't Sephiroth, he wouldn't let his emotions control him like this, even when Genesis and...Angeal betrayed him, he was calm and in control. Why is he suddenly went crazy?" Zack asked as he turned back to stare at Draconion with clear confusion and anger showing in his eyes and body. Draconion only shook his head, he thought he knew why.

"Jenova..." Draconion muttered. Zack looked at him strangely, he scrunched his face thinking about it, trying to connect dots and facts together.

"Learning about his mother sent him over the edge? Or learning his mother wasn't human?" Zack pushed Draconion for answers, Draconion only adjusted his sunglasses before looking around once more. He started walking forward.

"No, Sephiroth had knowledge about his mother before this mission. The only thing that has changed about Sephiroth in the last few weeks that could provoke this sudden rush of obsession is this town, or more precisely what the town is connect to." Draconion stopped in front of the collapsed water turning whose wooden leg support beams had been reduced to blackened charred shapes. Zack had walked behind him and veered off to stand in front of the burning local town shop. He still looked unsure and confused by what Draconion was saying.

"The town...?" he looked back at the town before making up his mind about an invisible choice in his mind.

"The reasons right now don't matter, we have to do something before this town and everyone with it burns." Zack said, swiping his arm to show his willingness to do it by himself if Draconion refused, to Zack surprise, Draconion nodded.

"Find the security force, if any are alive, there's one over there, by that house, Cloud I think his name is. Have him help you evacuate the towns people out to the towns entrance, the quicker we have civilians out of the way the quicker we can end this." Zack who had already started to move towards the young spiky haired man in the typical Shinra uniform stopped and waryly looked at Draconion, the words Draconion had said had carried a heavier tone.

"End? Do you mean you'll...kill him?" Zack asked cautiously, Draconion looked at Zack with some sort of grim humour on his face.

"No one walks away from a fight with Sephiroth without losing something, even the survivors. No one just 'kills' Sephiroth, it simply isn't done." Draconion fished with a serious expression on his face, but before Zack could question Draconion, a large cracking sound echoed through out the towns square, Draconion and Zack immediately snapped their eyes to the burning beam that separated the Shinra manor and the rest of the town, Draconion's eyes narrowed immediately.

Sephiroth was standing in the middle of the ranging inferno, over the wreckage of the fallen beam, like a sudden dark shadow, covering the town, smothering it with his aura, he was untouched as if the flames them self were fearful of his presence. He stood there looking around the town, calmly taking in the destruction and the underlying signs of death, it created no physical reaction on Sephiroth's face, until he looked straight at Draconion, seeing Draconion standing among all the death and chaos he smiled, it was a slow and definite smile, to show he felt no remorse, no regret, no pain, no guilt and no sign of stopping. Sephiroth turned and walked into the flames before disappearing. His goal now clear, the Nibelheim reactor, Jenova.

Draconion saw Zack prepare to sprint after Sephiroth as Zack began to ready himself, Draconion was suddenly in the direct path of Zack's path to Sephiroth's location.

"Remember your task, the towns people first, don't abandon them." His words slowed Zack's pre-advances before they even started, Zack looked furious.

"He's getting away! If we don't hurry, he'll escape." Looking ready to begin chase again Zack looked at Draconion who simply held up one hand.

"He's not trying to escape, I know where he's going, hurry the evacuation of the town and join me at the Reactor. Sephiroth will be there." and without another word, Draconion ran and leaped through the fire that was cutting off the path to the mountains. The reactor was a good hours journey away on foot and that was at best with no interruptions on the way, the path was lined with winding cliffs and dangerous monsters that one didn't mess with unless absolutely or trained to deal with.

As Draconion rushed up the path that lead into several tunnel systems that would eventually lead out to the Mako reactor of Nibelheim, he was thinking of his possible tactics on dealing with Sephiroth, he was dangerous in every way, close combat was suicide mostly, long range also proved to be useless as he could move so fast it was akin to teleporting, also his swords cut created such pressure when it swung threw the air it formed pressurised air into a thin crescents that flew towards the enemy that could send opponents flying or break bones upon impact. It was deadly no matter what you prepared yourself for.

As Draconion reached the entrance to the cave system, screams erupted from within the mawing darkness, Draconion frowned but didn't stop moving, as he moved further in, he saw towns people of Nibelheim, mostly men and male teens trying to push each other out of the way to gain an extra few feet towards the entrance of the cave system, those who lagged behind were quickly caught by wicked fangs of a giant almost emerald dragon, the Nibelheim dragon, they were a common feature here and Draconion cursed his luck, this was not what he needed right now. The dragon stood almost in double his height of 6ft and longer in length, it had horns, leathery wings, a spiked tail and the fire breath. The whole packet that came with being a overgrown lizard.

Without even slowing down, Draconion jumped sideways to the dragons side as it tried to snapped its teeth around him and quickly plunged his sword into the softer underbelly of the beast, it roared in clear pain and anger. Draconion ripped the blade out and leaped back in cautious movements, he took sight of the flailing dragon as boiling blood began to ooze out of its wound. Draconion suddenly rushed forwards and slide under a wayward tail as it tried to impale him and launched himself on to the dragons back and with a quick pivot of his left foot, slashed off its two wings where the membrane met the body. The dragon moved in violently ways, trying to shake Draconion off to reach him with its claws or teeth but he was already running late.

With a quick accurate jump, Draconion jumped and spun in the air and flew down like a free falling guillotine and removed the neck from the body in one clean slice. The body started to jerk as muscles spasmed and lost their connection to the brain and arteries began pouring blood onto the earthen ground making it soft and moist.

"I don't have time to play with you." Draconion said to the decapitated head, before turning to the group of fleeing men.

"Go home and help your families. Don't come back, Its dangerous here." Draconion said as he flick his sword, cleaning it of the monsters blood, as he started to move towards the exit of the cave, one of them men came forward and shout at Draconion's retreating back.

"Wait! please, there's someone missing from our group, she disappeared after that guy you came with, the general Sephiroth? He attacked the dragon, it was leaving us alone while we were hiding here but then he showed up..." Draconion, who had stopped moving but not turned around. Sephiroth had done this on purpose, drawn the dragons anger and huger then leaving the chaos for Draconion to come and see then save them for he could not refuse to do so, it stood against what he stood for. The middle aged man from the town continued his speech unaware that Draconion was barely listening to him because of his own inner monologue.

"...But we can't find Tifa anywhere, sh-" The man was cut off as Draconion half turned and faced him.

"Tifa Lockheart?" Draconion said quietly, the man nodded nervously. Draconion remembered the cheerful girl, on her way to becoming a fine woman, she didn't treat them with nervous words or show any kind of hatred for them, it was a nice change from most normal people. He also heard she was training under a local martial artist master, she was a promising student, but a student none the less. She would be able to hike the rest of the mountain with relative ease and in short time, but why?

"Why did she leave? What caused her to keep going?" Draconion pushed the man for answers. The man didn't seem to understand the question at first but then quickly stammered his answer.

"H-her father! Her father was doing the routine check on the reactor, sometimes monsters move in and we have to report them before they over run the reactor. Tifa came with us to meet up with him!" the man finished, Draconion narrowed his before walking away, the man behind was silent for a few seconds.

"Sir...?" Draconion merely turned his head an didn't stop his walk.

"I'll find her, you get everyone else to safety. Don't go near the Manor either. that place is just as dangerous." and then he vanished around a bend in the cave wall.

It would be the last time that particular man would ever see him again.

The Nibelheim Mako reactor looked like Mt Nibels own man made smoky volcano, it glowed with a eerily green light at night and gave off poisonous fumes as the Mako was processed, dangerous to be inhaled but necessary for the people to have their power supply. Draconion stopped on the steps in front of the reactor, listening and looking for any sign of approaching black and sharp metal, but the area was quiet except for the churning of the machines and the steaming produce of the black smoke, Draconion could almost swear he heard a hum from the green lake of Mako underneath the reactor, a indescribable singing chorus whose lyrics were hard to hear.

As he drew closer, he could see the bright intense light from the Mako, it was the brightest he had ever seen Mako glow and he had been around a lot Mako, but why, it was almost like the energy of the planet had pooled its resources here, to trench around the reactor to stop some invisible army... or perhaps to keep a unseen prisoner inside. Jenova? The experiments? Or now...Sephiroth? Draconion felt a chill run down his spine, it made him nervous about entering the reactor, like something in his head was enticing him in, like a sirens voice, but its touch left feelings of fear, anger and darkness. Draconion shook his head, he had a friend to knock some sense in to. As he climbed the metal stairs to the Mako reactor, the sound of boots clanging, echoed around the mountain ridges re-enforcing the feeling that he was heading in to this situation alone.

When Draconion entered the main entrance of the reactor, he felt the air hit him in the face, reactors where always hot but the air carried another feeling, the air stank of blood and death. This definitely wasn't a good sign, Draconion jumped to the thin walkway below, not wasting time with the ladder, as he landed on the walkway, it struck him how bare the reactor was, in other reactors stationed around the lands, they were all sleek and shiny, each wall, pipe, floor, ceiling, railing, light and door were spotless and cleaned to a almost insane level. In this reactor... it was left naked, walls had holes in them that showed the support beams holding up the ceiling, the walk way he stood upon was a mess of metal sheets and no railings that stopped the clumsy from falling right into the mako pool below, the ceiling had patchworks of old and new metals, mostly from monsters that had nested in this reactor once in awhile and the pipes were all serialized and unguarded.

This place was a terrorists dream, there was no defences, no security doors, the only plus was several cameras dotted through out the facility. Someone would see what would happen and if he and Sephiroth survived it would show the true events of today's actions. It took another few seconds of Draconion to notice a sound, a sniffing and wailing to his right, just ahead, further up, as he moved a few steps up the stairs, he saw Tifa Lockheart, right in front of the entrance to the back of the reactor kneeling over the her fathers slashed body, with Sephiroth's long sword discarded next to him. Tifa was touching her fathers face in vain hope he might react, but the life stream had long claimed him and his body would slowly be dissolving into Mako. Tifa let her hands drop and her hat had covered her face in shadow, so it was a bit of a surprise with quick speed that took Tifa by surprise, she looked up and screamed

"I hate Shinra! I hate SOLDIER! I hate Sephiroth! I HATE EVERYTHING!" and then she screamed once more and grabbed Sephiroth's sword before hurling herself through the door, It took Draconion a few seconds to start moving as well.

As he stepped inside the actual reactor housed inside, he off mindedly that other reactors had this area sealed and wielded shut, as this was where the mako was at its most purist and uncontained form. But here it lead to a large rounded chamber that held five rows of four pods, each a white oval pod with several wires and tubes connected to them, from Zack he knew they would be the other experiments that Hojo had left behind to "cook" in his absence, perhaps monitoring their reactions in the presence of Jenova? or just simply a conveniant place to hide them? The first thing Draconion noticed was at the top of the steps that led up the middle of the rows of pods was Sephiroth, his back was to him and he was facing a large door in front of him that was rather plain except above it, almost like a royal declaration was a flowing scripture declaring "Jenova".

As he stepped inside the actual reactor housed inside, he off mindedly that other reactors had this area sealed and welded shut, as this was where the mako was at its most purist and uncontained form. But here it lead to a large rounded chamber that held five rows of four pods, each a white oval pod with several wires and tubes connected to them, from Zack he knew they would be the other experiments that Hojo had left behind to "cook" in his absence, perhaps monitoring their reactions in the presence of Jenova? or just simply a convenient place to hide them? The first thing Draconion noticed was at the top of the steps that led up the middle of the rows of pods was Sephiroth, his back was to him and he was facing a large door in front of him that was rather plain except above it, almost like a royal declaration was a flowing scripture declaring "Jenova".

The second thing was Tifa rapidly ascending the stairs, Sephiroth's sword looking ridiculously awkward in her hands as she raise it above her head to plunge tip first between his shoulder blade but before the blade touched his jacket he spun under the blade and caught her wrist before she could jerk the sword away to strike him again, Sephiroth lifted her by her wrist, he had a good near foot and half on Tifa.

Draconion had frozen, not believing what was happening in front of his eyes, he thought Sephiroth had a lapse in control or sanity but now as he looked into his eyes he could see the cruel malice glowing out of Sephiroth's eyes, Draconion could see what was also about to happen as Sephiroth pulled his sword from the flailing Tifa's hand, she futilely was kicking him as hard as she could manage under the circumstances but her kicks were weak from anger and fatigue. Draconion pushed himself up the stairs, pushing himself harder and harder trying to reach the two but he only made it seven steps up and he was already to late.

Sephiroth let go of Tifa but before gravity could pull her into its embrace , Sephiroth looked past Tifa's shoulder right into Draconion's eyes, he smiled, it was a monstrous thing and with a swipe, almost lazily gave a quick slash diagonally down, almost too fast to see with the untrained eye and turning back to the door containing Jenova, almost instantaneously moved forward away from Tifa. Tifa was floating in the air, appearing to be held like a saint by some invisible deity embracing her and then she let choked and a spray of crimson blood gushed out from her chest and she was lunched backwards down the stairs, she crashed into the stairs below her and was pushed further down by gravity which rolled her and slide her down the stairs, leaving a trail of dark red blood like a demented artists paintbrush on the stairs behind her. Draconion caught her before any more harm could befall her, he scooped her into his arms and carried her over to the side.

Leaning her against the pod of an experiment he quickly examined her wound, Sephiroth's blade had cut deep enough to sever important veins and arteries, she was bleeding out before his eyes. Knowing he hadn't much time before Sephiroth got what he wanted or Tifa died in front of him here, he close his eyes and focused and rested a hand on he round, as he touched it, Tifa let out a moan, if she had any strength left would of been a scream. Reaching deep within himself he pulled on his own strength, he hadn't had much skill with this particular spell, never really needing magic to fix himself when his body did it pretty much for him. Still he concentrated and a light glowing surrounded Tifa, her wound began to steam as veins and arteries began to connect and seal them selves and muscle began to fold over and set it self before skin peeled forward and fused together. Draconion stopped their needing his strength for the fight ahead and unsure on what to do next.

Tifa's breath suddenly caught and heaved as she took in much needed breath, but her wound began to peel and bleed, a small trickle but still worrying. Still Draconion could do no more as his skill with healing was extremely limited and he could do more harm than good doing any more, he stood up, hoping when he got back the girl would still be alive, he didn't need her death to add to the uncountable already in the town. Tifa's coughing drew his spacey thoughts together, she had opened one eye but she wasn't focused on anything, she was saying something, Draconion leaned forward and listened.

"...a..te...ou" Draconion frowned and listening more carefully.

"I...hate ...you.." Tifa said focusing on his eyes, where the Mako glow was clearly showing, even to the half dead girl. Draconion stopped himself from flinching, he guess she deserved to say that to someone who would listen.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to stop him and you'll have you justice, I promise. Hate me, you have that right and I deserve that at lest, I'll be back, just hold on a little longer., Zack and Cloud are on their way" Tifa just looked blankly at him as he turned and paced up the steps, avoiding her blood as he went up.

"...C...loud..?"

The door silently closed behind him, cutting of any light from room behind him, as darkness rose and shadows took their rightful place around the narrow oval room. On the floor was plate made out tarnished gold that reflecting bluish light that was emanating form the back of the room, the plate read "Jenova". The room was a mixture of darkness and several show lights that illuminated a silver doll with several wires and tubes that were designed to be wings, its bottom half narrowed and ended in huge red tube that vanished into the floor in front of the door, the tube acted as some form of path to the doll it, was wide enough for a single man to walk and balance upon easily. The room on both sides were filled with all manners of pipes of all sizes making the room curve inwards like some sort of prison or museum exhibit. In front of the doll was Sephiroth, he was slowly caressing the dolls face lovingly, his back was to Draconion and was free of any blood he had just split a few minutes previously.

"So you've come, not that I expected you to run brother. I finally found her, Our mother, she's here, left like some ancient relic with no use or purpose. But now we know that she has a purpose, to claim this planet as her vessel to cross the ocean of stars, and she has summoned us, her voice echoed in mind, surely you have heard it? She has summoned her sons to carry out her will and dream, we have been chosen out of all her progency. We are the chosen ones!" Sephiroth had turned to face Draconion as he spoke, his voice reaching a new height, his narrow sharp edge alight with glee. Draconion only stared in forlorn acceptance of the task he knew now he had to do, but he had to try for his friend...what was left of him in this spreading madness.

"Sephiroth...do you even hear yourself? 'Claim the planet'? 'Chosen ones'? This is crazy talk Sephiroth! You slaughter a town and most of its people because a voice in your head told you to? Months ago if you had seen yourself act like this, you would turned away in disgust and shame. Before this you were my brother and I wasn't ashamed to admit that but now? I want nothing to do with you! You destroyed everything in this mad quest to visit some doll!" Draconion pointed his sword at Sephiroth who had his eyes closed and his head looking to the heavens, slowly opened them, his smile dropping as he looked at Draconion with lidded glowing green eyes.

"I was a fool, chained to a company of ants whose dreams and desires destroyed themselves yet they did not care. Money, possessions, women, cars, food, fame, desires and pathetic dreams rule every single one of them. They do not deserve the Planet so mother has come to take it from the worthless insects to use it for a grander purpose. Now come brother we have a lot of work to do." Sephiroth extended his left arm in a open handed gesture, beckoning Draconion, his other hand gripped his sword calmly.

Draconion only closed his eyes for a second, the feeling of crawling fingers and whispering ghosts had become almost bothersome, was this the madness that had Sephiroth in its grip? If so he best hurry before he too was ranting about mothers and planets.

"Correction, I have only one mission objection left for today, eliminate you and go home, I hoped beyond everything that you had a reason for this...mindless destruction and loss of life but I see now that you're own illusion of superiority has warped you into a mad man!" Draconion declared, dropping into a fighting style with his sword held backwards away from him and his gloved hand in front to ward of any pre-emptive strikes. Sephiroth only glanced in amusement, disappointment...and regret? He turned away from Draconion, which was the strangest thing he had done in the conversation so far, leaving himself so open to attack but Draconion knew he could turn quicker than lightning and strike back twice as fast, so he waited to see Sephiroth's actions. What he didn't expect was Sephiroth to stroke the doll once before ripping it away by the torso which in eery reminder of a person started to leak liquids of a murky brown substance of its mouth and eyes before Sephiroth threw into the dark abyss below and it vanished without a sound. What was left were several tubes that were spewing large amount of chemicals and steam and...a huge container with with a...he had no words for what saw.

It was a parody of a women would be the first guess Draconion would say, long silver hair that flowed upwards in the liquid that she was suspended in and two sides that laid flat on either side of her face, grey skin (illuminated blue by the surrounding lights) she was naked for what body she possessed a torso, two legs, bussom of supple portions, she had no arms but in stead had folded fleshy wings at the back and several tubes from her navel, back and sides that all lead to the bottom of the tank to form a huge exposed beating heart that pulsed malevolently. Her head was the most striking, with her silver hair, she possessed narrow features that showed an inhuman skull and glowing pinpoints of purplish light. On her head was a visor or helmet clearly placed there by a scientist or someone of that sort, it black metal with a grey strip of metal that read

"Jenova"

"Mother..." Sephiroth stared at the thing in the glass container, not with anger or revulsion bit with admiration and...love. His gloved hand rested against the exposed prison and held it there almost obsessively for a few seconds. He could feel energy gather between the two, separated only by thick glass.

"Now that you see her, in her true form, I'll ask again brother, join me and mother and we shall become the true rulers of this planet and complete destiny of this worthless Planet and its pathetic life!" Sephiroth waved his arm in an arc before pointing at Draconion as he finished speaking, he did not need to say the second choice in this silent ultimatum.

Join me or vanquish.

"Join you? Join you and kill innocents? Join you and destroy everything I've tried to protect? Join you and burn everything I care about? Join you and BECOME A MONSTER? Join you and become you? I already failed at doing that once I don't think I'll ever bother trying again." Draconion finished, raising his sword and slashing downwards with both hands, destroying the plate with Jenovas name on it, cutting it raggedly down the middle. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed to slits, and turned to face Draconion, fury and coldness radiating form him.

"So be it foolish brother."

Then he vanished. Draconion's eyes widened and swiftly drew his sword into front of him where Sephiroth suddenly appeared in a sickly green aura in front of him and grunted when the two swords clashed and sparks flew in rapid streams before Sephiroth pushed forward and almost vanished around to the side and thrusted his long sword in a stabbing motion to Draconion's side, which was quickly parried by a swipe of his Draconion's sword who twirled his blade in retort which throwed the silver haired man's blade off course to Draconion's left, which allowed Draconion to rush forward and grabbed Sephiroth's coat collar then threw him over the ledge over the platform towards the several pipes, before his back would crash, he flipped and landed with both feet against a large pipe before he push with both feet and launched himself forward with his sword slashing down on Draconion's broad shoulders.

Draconion ran forward and slide forward, as he did this his sword dragged behind him, cutting the metal with sparks hissing off, Draconion slide under Sephiroth's sword before he swung his heated blade upwards but Sephiroth placed one foot on the platform and then leaped sideways towards the door to avoid Draconion's strike.

"You haven't lost your touch, you can still keep up with me." Sephiroth said approvingly, but as he raised his sword in a challenging stance he summoned his smile, a mockery of human emotion.

"But for how long? Before you too are cut down like that girl in the room behind me." Sephiroth had straightened up, almost abandoning any sign of a offensive stance...almost.

"She had such a fighting spirit but she was weak, I felt a surge of energy before you came, did you save her? What a waste of you're ability, as soon as we're finished here I'll finish the task, it be a kindness that she won't get else where, I'll eve-!" Sephiroth was suddenly cut off as Draconion appeared in a golden haze, he grabbed Sephiroth's face with his open palm and pushed him with the force Sephiroth couldn't counter in time, right through the steel door, it screeched in protest and Sephiroth grabbed Draconion's wrist in an attempt to remove it or do damage to it in time to escape. But Draconion pushed harder and the steel door bend inwards and Sephiroth crash through them and landed with one hand one the ground on a flat platform halfway down the stairs, his other and gripping tightly his sword.

Draconion walked through the doors, his golden aura fading gradually with each step he took, Sephiroth raised himself on two feet, shrugging off the impact of the steel doors with a roll of one shoulder and a impassive look at Draconion's direction.

"Haste? So quick and precise too. You've not been slacking off in any departments these days it seems." Sephiroth glanced around the room, stopping is gaze upon Tifa who laid breathing tiredly on the same row he landed on.

"Is she...precious to you?" without taking his eyes off Tifa, Sephiroth raised his sword and blocked a direct attack from Draconion who had jumped and used the height to try and land a crushing blow to Sephiroth. Slowly but deliberately turned and looked him in the eye.

"She's more important to me than you are now Sephiroth." Draconion said, pushing his blade into Sephiroth's. Both blades started to hum as more and more force was directed through them but Draconion started to push forward as his heigh difference on the stairs gave him the direct advantage. Sephiroth saw his useless attempts at winning and let his blade slide over Draconion's before jumping back and landing at the bottom of the steps, leaving Draconion where he stood previous. Sephiroth suddenly raised his sword.

"Lets see how precious she is too you." then without warning he let loose such a slash with strength behind it that the air pressure formed a crescent sickly green blade that cut through the roof and cause the the building to start shaking, Draconion had started bolting down the stairs but Sephiroth had already launched another two strikes that cause support beams to come crashing down along with several mishapened parts of the roof and wall. Most the debrie landed harmless away from the rooms centre but several unlucky pods with experiments were struck and knocked over in a act of violence, including the the one Tifa was currently resting under. Without thinking Draconion dashed sideways and with two heaving swings, cut through two pods, their inner lights suddenly dieing and steam with more of the brownish substance sprayed in arcs as Draconion went past them, then he stood over Tifa with one hand holding up the last pod on the row and his sword biting into the ground in front of Tifa to act as support.

Draconion stood there with both his legs holding under the pressure, slightly to his left Tifa was looking at him with more clarity in her eyes than when he had left her a small time ago. She still looked deathly pale and her wound was causing her untold amounts of pain. however Tifa was looking at him with a fleeting look in her eyes that Draconion, she thought she was going to die right there and then. She was getting ready to die and she was accepting that. Draconion turned his head and looked at her.

"Sorry to bother you again Miss, I saw you were having a spot of trouble here and thought I offer hand." Draconion's left hand wriggled as he got a better grip on the pods front hatch. Tifa tried to move away but she suddenly curled in on her self and whimpered in suppressed pain, Draconion had no idea if she was moving away from the falling pod or Draconion himself.

"You probably don't want to be rescued by someone you hate right now but at this moment there's not a lot of choice between who saves you, so please just bear my presence for awhile longer." Draconion asked in a quiet voice, Tifa stopped moving and looked at Draconion, she looked into his sky blue eyes, glowing in the hellish red lights in the room.

"...Okay, just a little longer." Tifa agreed. Draconion lifted one corner of his mouth in his custamery grin, before he swift let go of his sword and grabbed the pod he was holding with both hands and in a single motion ripped the pod from the docking station it was in and threw it in a spin towards the stairs, where it was cleaved in half revealing a smirking Sephiroth who started to calmly walking forward to the couple on at the end of the row. Draconion quickly replaced his hand on the pommel of is sword, with years of practise finding the proper grip within seconds. Sephiroth just kept walking slowly, step by step, is sword hung loosely in his right arm, with the tip facing Draconion.

"You kept me waiting brother, I was getting a little insulted." The silver haired swordsman said with a mocking hurt in his voice. Draconion only replied with in a biting tone.

"Wait a little longer and trust me, you feel a lot more than just insulted!" Then Draconion flew forward, his sword making a strike form his left should to meet Sephiroth's up swinging blade but before the blades met, Sephiroth's hand that had been behind him and out of Draconian sight came up blindingly fast glowing that same sickly green colour and exploded in a small nova blast making Draconion drop the attack and jump left but the blast caught him in the shoulder which caused him to spin over the row below them, he landed with a rattle on the metal walkway, he tried to reorientate himself quickly but Sephiroth shadowed his movements perfectly and grabbed in the throat and threw him with such quick force upwards that Draconion crashed into the ceiling make the metal scream in protest and more parts of the Mako reactor to start falling down around them. Draconion pushed one hand down in a effort to free him form the crushed metal but before he could make any progress and not lose his sword which he stubbornly held on to, Sephiroth appeared right in front of him slashing his sword, Draconion blocked with the flat side of his blade but Sephiroth only smiled that cold smile and quicker than a snake, grabbed Draconion's face with his open palm and in sick parody from earlier smashed him through the ceiling of the room with another sickly green blast. Draconion crashed through several pipes, metal plates and vents before no more resistance was met and he was flung to the roof of the Mako reactor.

The air was dark with smoke billowing from the large opened furnaces and towers dotted around the roof in haphazard manners. It made it hard to see to far ahead and the air made it difficult to breath to hard. Draconion pulled himself up quickly and positioned himself in a defensive stance in front of the spark and smoky hole, waiting for Sephiroth's arrival, his back screamed in protest, a quick cure made the ache go away but not the bleeding he could feel dripping down his back. Suddenly the hole exploded with dust and smoke covering the entrance of Sephiroth as he landed on the other side of the hole.

"This should do as our battlefield, you can stop worrying about the girl and I don't have to worry about you doing something regretful to mother. It benefits us both you see? Now where were we...? " Sephiroth flicked his sword which caused the the smoke and dust to fly away from him, creating a perfect 360 degree circle of clear air which Sephiroth's dark green eyes glowed heatedly and his smile now taking a cruel streak. Draconion only narrowed his eyes, seeing his target he would not let him out of his sights.

"Let me help you remember!" with another golden glow and a ghostly, almost divine image of a clock face with both minute and hour hands suddenly start speeding around the clock appeared beneath Draconion's feet and then he vanished, Sephiroth spun around and clashed swords with Draconion who quickly vanished again leaving Sephiroth alone on the field, Sephiroth's eyes darted across the battle field, searching almost franticly. Where was Draconion, not forward, not behind, not sideways, where was he?

"ABOVE!" Draconion shouted as he dove out of the air and flashed his sword across Sephiroth's frame, Sephiroth's eyes flashed open in surprise and he leaned back in desperate effort but Draconion's blade dug into his shoulder and dragged down into mid chest before Sephiroth grab the blade with his gloved hand and threw it with Draconion Draconion across the roofs structure, almost right off the edge when the railing he crashed against gave a screech of warning.

Both warriors stared at each other with neutral eyes. Sephiroth's shoulder was cut deep and weeping blood onto his coat then dribbling down to a fine drop before it splattered on the metal ground beneath them. Sephiroth raised one hand and touch the wound without flinching as his hand came away sleek with his own blood, Sephiroth locked eyes with Draconion's battle ready form.

"You... ruined mothers gift to me. She has given her own soul in my blood yet you defile it and waste it on this wretched ground?" Sephiroth almost hissed the words out in anger his sword started glowing green to match Sephiroth's eyes. Draconion already too angry with Sephiroth to use any tact or calming phrases didn't hold back.

"Disgusting ground for disgusting creature, if your mothers so great then why is she in some tube? Looking like something a dog chewed and spat out into the gutter?" Draconion bated in savage word play. Sephiroth's eyes flashed so sickly green his pupils vanished and his glowing sword exploded into a flaming blade of emerald that Sephiroth swung a distance away but the sword create a gushing crescent blade of green that shot forward , the attack pierced the metal below like hot butter and left a gaping chasm in its wake. Draconion flung him self far to the side as the attack rushed where he just was and tore apart the railing and continued until it hit the mountain side and dissipated into the rock. Draconion looked at the attack with some reserve, it was beyond anything Sephiroth used before and if that hit him he be dead before he knew it. Sephiroth hadn't moved from where attack had launched itself, he looked delighted at himself. but furious when his eyes saw Draconion's form.

"Do not talk about mother like that! Her power coarses through me, as you just saw, it feels amazing and you cannot stop me." Sephiroth hefted his sword once more, it started glowing once more. Draconion stood ready but he snorted at Sephiroth's arrogance.

"It was strong yeah but it was slow and I could see it coming a mile away. If that's the best "mother" has to offer I ask for a refund. You're weaker than I remember." Draconion said with a grin before he dashed in a circle around Sephiroth his left hand ablaze with blue fire, Sephiroth looked surprised, he would be. Few people know that Draconion could use certain materia on his own with needing the actual stone but Draconion had only ever shown aptitude with status materia, he didn't seem to be able to make elemental material function... or could he?

"This happens every-time I try to use fire, ice, lightning or whatever. It turns blue, it doesn't change the attack power, just makes it look pretty but I definitely didn't want Hojo to discover this, I saw enough of him for five lifetimes." Draconion mockingly explained before he suddenly thrust his hand forward and a fireball the size of a beach ball sot forward, Sephiroth cleaved it in half without straining himself, but Draconion just grinned like a a beast before he jumped up in the air before his left hand thrusted once, twice, then three times and three fireballs of equal size hunted Sephiroth's form down.

Sephiroth frowned slightly before jumping away to land on the other side of the roof near an open chimney billow dark smoke. The fireballs look like the were about to crash into the spot Sephiroth stood before and hit nothing, but Draconion only smiled and landed before flicking his hand upwards, the fireballs curved in course and skimmed the ground before shooting after Sephiroth. The three soared towards Sephiroth at blazing heats, Draconion trailing behind them his sword at the ready, then the fire balls struck Sephiroth who decided to dispel them there, he slash side ways first destroying two fireballs then blocked the final blue fireball that streaked for his head, with his hand. It exploded in a cloud of heated smoke that robbed Sephiroth of any sight. Before he could complement his next move, Draconion burst through the smoke ramming his shoulder right into Sephiroth's profile, Sephiroth was lifted clear off his feet with a grunt and grab Draconion's arm in an attempt to get some leverage on the younger man, they flew straight off the roof and grappled with each other single handedly before they fell into one of the larger chimneys, they fell in darkness using each others eyes to pin point their location. But suddenly a rush heat warmed the two swordsmen of impending danger, a quick glance downwards showed Draconion glowing Mako that was been boiled at extremely high temperatures the metal tube as it descended further down grew red hot.

Draconion pushed away from Sephiroth's grip then plunged his sword into the metal circular wall and pierced almost half way deep and started carving his way down the side slowing his drop rapidly until the sword lost force and halted a quarter of the tube away form the Mako, Sephiroth turned and slashed away a section of the wall which collapsed and left him a small niche to fall into, the falling metal chunks hit the Mako with quick and loud splashes, the glowing liquid bubbled ominously for a few seconds before calming to its almost lake like serenity. Sephiroth looked at the Mako with halve amusement and half disgust, as he stepped closer the Mako bubbled ever so slightly.

"The planet has been gathering here ever since Jenova was collected from the Northern creator, waiting for Jenova to fall into its grasp. The planet would of destroyed her in this weakened state but the humans saved her by placing her in this reactor and slowly she has been gathering her strength. But the planet pooled more of the life stream here in vain hopes that it would reach her, if Shinra saw how much more Mako they could of collected from this mountain alone, it would of made them relocate Midgar to here. But I guess Hojo didn't want to share his playroom with anyone else. Thus mother became safe but trapped but now I've come to help her complete her mission." Sephiroth said with a cold smile, the Mako below suddenly bubbled and hissed so furious one bubble grew so large it exploded and splashed on to Sephiroth and began burning his cheek.

The silver haired man snarled with annoyance before he raised his sword and with the tell tale sign of the sickly green aura began to launch crescents into the metal plates and green life energy. Draconion didn't have to dodge as none of the strikes were aimed at him but the air was full falling chunks of the wall and the chimney groaned at the brutal assault, the mako began to bubble all over and its water like form began to turn turbulent, it began splashing at the metal walls and like a small volcano began to rise up, heating the metal as it rose up to swallow the two intruders. Draconion and Sephiroth drew their respective swords, Draconion then grabbed the gash in the wall he created as a foot hold and began rapidly ascending, what he didn't expect was for Sephiroth to grab him by the foot, swing him into wall before using his battered body as a spring board to launch him self higher, Draconion jumped away off the wall before he started to fall into the Mako that was rushing upwards and it already filled half of the chimney. Draconion hit one wall, ran up as far as his momentum would allow before he pushed powerfully on his legs and leaped across the length of the circular room before he started to race up that wall. As Draconion started to get to safer heights, he looked for Sephiroth, finding him a little bit higher than him, jumping between holes and gashes in the wall.

Draconion started to hurl fireballs at his in between his jumps. They light the area up as the flew through the air, Sephiroth dodged each one as they hit the metal one and exploded with the force of a grenade, without even looking to see which direction they were coming from, hitting Sephiroth wasn't the objective in Draconion's mind, it was only to slow him enough long enough for him to catch up. A couple more fireballs had Sephiroth jumping sideways instead of upwards, Sephiroth tried launching a few of his glowing crescents at him but he lost even more speed and distance due to his sword.

Just as Sephiroth reached the lip of the chimney, Draconion grabbed his foot and lifted him into the air with him before throwing a punch at his face, Sephiroth caught his wrist but Draconion twisted before they sperated and Sephiroth could crush his entire arm, they both prepared their sword in mid air but before they could propel themselves forward, a rumble and sounds of rushing water screamed below them. The mako erupted from the chimney, exposed and burning at near skin melting temperatures, it gushed upwards like a geyser, both Draconion and Sephiroth back flipped out of the reach of the green liquid but as they were falling, Draconion saw Sephiroth through the gaps in the Mako, turn to land and leave his flank wide open. In a split second Draconion spun and hit another towering chimney then pushed with both legs with such force the metal dented and flew back towards the man made geyser and with a single slash split the Mako down the centre and leaped through, he didn't escape without injury, the Mako rained down on him and began hissing and steaming upon contact with his skin burning through his sleeves and top.

The Mako boiled his blood and made his vision blurry for a moment before he ignored the feeling and focused on Sephiroth who had caught Draconion out the corner of his eye and had started to turn with his sword loosely gripped in his hand. But Draconion had caught him by surprise and before he could properly raise his sword in defence, Draconion's sword had slipped by and then pierced Sephiroth's arm below his uninjured shoulder, pushing further still Draconion shoved his blade downwards with his palm behind the pommel, he caught a glimpse of Sephiroth's furious green eyes before Draconion had sent him flying into another small chimney.

The area was almost quiet except form the rushing of the Mako from the chimney he and Sephiroth had fought in and the crumbling one Sephiroth had vanished into, concrete and metal fell in slow paces now and the the chimney remained quiet and dark but where was he? Sephiroth didn't give up and he could feel that things...jenova's energy pulsing near by, like Sephiroth couldn't control his new found powers just yet.

But before he had time to further speculate, a crescent of energy, bigger than before lanced out of the broken chimney heading straight for Draconion, it bent and wavered like it was was at full energy with half control, it was harder to predict its course so as Draconion flew off to one side the crescent warped and exploded where he was standing seconds before, the force of the attack sent his dodging roll into a lurging crash as he hit the edge of the roof and slide near clean off but his hand caught the broken railing before he could fall. With burning sensations in his muscles, Draconion heaved himself on to the roofs edge and into wary crouch before he looked over the roofs distance.

Sephiroth walked slowly out of the now obliterated chimney, he was breathing hard and his sword arm twitched as he raised his sword but other than that, his stance was once again perfect, but he was wary now, Draconion had surprised him twice now and Draconion was betting Sephiroth was going to do his damnedest not to make it a third time.

Without out any warning, Sephiroth was suddenly closing the distance between, the cold fury radiating from his eyes. Draconion raised his sword before pushing him self up and suddenly found himself struggling to push back Sephiroth's blade as it swung forward, the blades met with a silent hiss and Draconion found himself having the advantage of uninjured arms with the ability to match Sephiroth's weakened strength. Then Sephiroth leaned backwards letting Draconion's blade slide forward without any resistance before kicking him viciously with a backwards spin kick that sent Draconion flying down the roofs length towards where two railings formed the corner of the now greatly damaged Mako reactor.

Draconion rolled and turned his momentum into his favour, as he rolled into a offensive stance before kicking forward, catching Sephiroth, who had quickly followed his tumbling body slightly off guard. Draconion did a quick slash before feinting the the left before following with downwards slash from his right, Sephiroth parried the first slash without wasting any time but almost fell for the feint but turned at the last second, as the blade cut off small strands of flowing silver hair. The final slash caught Sephiroth unprepared but as he laid his blade horizontally over his head, he was forced to his knees by the power of the strike and quickly he avoided the rest of the attack stepped back a few paces.

"You should know its futile facing me, I am your superior in every way, this fight was already over from the start, give up now and vanish or once again I will offer you this chance to join me, join us." Sephiroth casually flicked his blade clean in ingrained habit. Draconion smiled coldly at Sephiroth.

"Superior? Weren't you the one bowing to me just now? The answer will and always will be no, I promise you THAT!" he shouted the last word as he charged forward towards his old friend and his new enemy. Sephiroth just shook his head in a pitying motion as he swung his blade to meet Draconion's, the two blades met vertically and held, silently they both struggled for dominance but without even showing that cold smile, Sephiroth suddenly vanished and Draconion stumbled forward as Sephiroth came forward behind him wit his sword poised to impale Draconion upon its tip, Draconion spun but was still off balanced and the Sephiroth's blade went through his side instead of his heart.

Draconion lost his breath but without hesitating created a blueish fireball in his left hand but Sephiroth had turned and flicked his sword and sent Draconion hurtling towards the radio tower at the far end, it was the tallest thing around besides the mountains peeks and Draconion hit it with such force it rattle all the way to the very tip of the structure causing it to begin to topple over. Draconion however didn't slow down, he turned and ran up the tower as it fell and used its very tip to catapult himself high in the air, his side burning cold. When he reached the apex of his leaped he turned and seem to float there for a short time, before he pulled his shoulder back and threw his sword right at Sephiroth, who simple smirked and turned his body sideways, the sword hit with a thud on the ground next to the silver haired warrior, who chuckled but then suddenly stopped when Draconion's hands began to glow, then his arms, then his torso and the blueish flames covered his body as he began to grit his teeth in pain as his head was also covered.

A burning phoenix hovered over Sephiroth with Draconion in its middle, like a bleeding heart, then Draconion lurched forward with such speed that it seem frightening but Sephiroth seemed amused and waited at the last second before he hopped to his left...or tried to. His coat yanked him back before he could make any progress, as Sephiroth snapped his head down, Draconion's sword glinted in the approaching fires as it stood impaling his coat and the ground, pinning Sephiroth like a target.

As Sephiroth turned his head to Draconion, he could see his eyes burning brighter than any flame he produced, then Draconion smashed into Sephiroth and the roof exploded.

Draconion hurt.

His back was sharp with pain, his skin was aching with pain but his head was exploding with pain. He felt movement around him, as he forced his eyes opened, the barely escaping daylight passed through the smog and smoke to shine into the hole he had crashed into. By the looks of it, he had fallen through at lest 30-50 meters worth of metal and rust. As he tried to move is body froze in protest, everything he had was put into that elemental attack he had used on Sephiroth... Sephiroth! Quickly Draconion took note of surrounding area, he recognised it, Jenovas room. The darkness had been slightly elevated due to the daylight but not much, as he shifted, concrete and dust fell off him and he found it hard to find a balanced on the mess covered floor. The dust still rained down on him and as he looked around he found a blood trail form not two feet away from him, it was wide spread and messy like someone had dragged themselves away with they're arms as support, as his eye sight followed the crimson trail past his location, and up the tube until he spotted Sephiroth on his knees in front of Jenovas container, his coat had been ripped in several places and his visible skin showed vast burn marks and his limbs seem to have trouble responding as he banged on the glass.

"Mo...mot...mother? I need more..our betrayer, our brother, our son is strong, give me more power to defeat him, MOTHER I NEED MORE!" As he screamed this in a fit of madness, the glass began to break as Sephiroth pounded harder but then the creature, Jenovas eyes glowed a malevolent purple and Sephiroth sudden froze and then twitched as the sound of audio bones cracking and resetting themselves, then Sephiroth's arms twisted and bent unnaturally as they regained lightning reflexes, as he he stood up, his legs shook once before becoming solid and his burn marks as his face turned to Draconion, shrank before his skin became mark free again.

"Thank you...mother. Now my son...brother...betrayer, lets end this." As he spoke his voice had a echo to it, the voice was Sephiroth but behind lurking in the shadows was a cruel feminine voice. It grated on the ears and sent chills down his broken back. Sephiroth calmly walked down to Draconion's prone form who was trying to force life into his slow healing limbs, as Draconion tried to sit up, Sephiroth without even stopping , grabbed him by the neck and held him eye to eye for a few seconds, a mess of emotions were clear to Draconion, hate, joy, power hungry, pity, sadness and regret.

The others too deep to make them out, then without a word, Sephiroth pulled his shoulder back a touch and threw Draconion with such strength he crashed through the metal wall next to the broken door, the world slowed as Draconion crashed into the room beyond, as he sailed across the air, twisting and spinning without slowing, Draconion could see Tifa's slouching body suddenly snap to attention as her head slowly looked up and then at him with something akin to horror on her face before he crashed into another wall and finally landing and tumbling on to the narrow walkway built over a large vat of Mako, giving the room an ethereal glow, the walkway rattled and groaned but held. Draconion gasped as his body screamed at the sudden pain and his mind blanked for seconds before coming back to...was it seconds?

Before he knew it, Draconion could hear the sound of footsteps on metal, big heavy steps made him doubt it was Tifa, as he struggled futilely to get energy from somewhere, the footsteps grew nearer and nearer before they stopped right behind him.

"A broken brother, a broken tool, a useless son. I..we have no need for you, you've refused us, mocked us and scorned me...us, a puppet with no strings. You are useless to us. Wasted blood" Sephiroth stated. Draconion coughed up a mouthful of blood before spitting it at Sephiroth's feet.

"Take it back, I don't want to be useful to you, I rather die than dance to your pathetic puppet show. Tell mother I'll see her in hell" Draconion grinned a sharks smile with a mouth covered in blood. Sephiroth was still for the merest of seconds before he reached down and grabbed Draconion's throat once more, suddenly he couldn't breath, Sephiroth's grip was tighting to breaking point but he didn't flail or scream or beg. He looked right into Sephiroth's eye and stared, determined to to burn all his hatred, his anger, his bitterness, his pain into a single look that would haunt him forever. Sephiroth didn't react but Draconion found his feet dangling over the edge of the walk way, above the burning Mako.

Then Sephiroth let go.

Draconion fell, he didn't stop when he hit the surface, the Mako seem to swallow him whole, taking him to a burning embraced, determined not to let him go.

High above Sephiroth looked for the last time and said.

"Stop me before I do something truly unforgivable brother..." and vanished into the depths of the Mako reactor once more.

End

Hope that was good.


End file.
